Standing up for Stirling

The Stirling Electorate

About Stirling

State:

Western Australia

Name Derivation:

The seat is named after Sir James Stirling (1791-1865), the first governor of Western Australia (1828 -1839). From a good Scottish family, Stirling joined the Royal Navy at the age of 12 and had a distinguished career that ended in his retirement as a full admiral. He was tall and, by all accounts, had a dignified and commanding presence. After several tours with the Royal Navy, Stirling was sent to colonial New South Wales and, as part of his duties, sailed west to explore the land around the Swan River, on which Perth is now situated. Stirling was impressed by his discovery, and he pressed hard for a new settlement to be established despite the resistance of the British Colonial Office. Overcoming their objections, Stirling triumphed and proclaimed the new colony of Western Australia on 18 June 1829.

Area and Location Description:

Stirling covers an area of approximately 77 sq km from the Indian Ocean to the west and Mirrabooka and Dianella in the east.

The seat of Stirling is a microcosm of Australia in its wide diversity. It contains people from all walks of life and different backgrounds. It is the most ethnically diverse electorate in Western Australia, containing large Greek, Chinese, Italian, Croatian, Macedonian, Serbian and Indian communities. All the world's major religions are represented—Christians, Moslems, Jews and Buddhists, amongst others. It is also a relatively youthful electorate, the median age of residents being 35.

Stirling Redistribution

As our population grows and new communities are built, the boundaries of Federal electorates are changed from time to time to ensure uniform representation throughout the state based on population.

The Federal seat of Stirling has a new boundary following the electoral redistribution of Western Australia in 2008.

Stirling now has a new boundary which follows Scarborough Beach Road - Green St - Walcott St to the south; Alexander Drive to the east; and Beach Road as the northern boundary.